The Myth of Phaedra and Hyppolytus - still present in literature

Abstract

The article is devoted to an analysis of the myth of Phaedra and Hippolytus and its enduring presence in European literature. The research problem concerns the origins of the myth, its evolution, and the ways in which it has been reinterpreted in successive literary epochs. The aim of the study is to present the genesis of the myth of Phaedra and Hippolytus, identify its Oriental and Greek sources, and discuss the significance of Euripides’ tragedies for later literary tradition. The author employs comparative and historical-literary methods, analyzing both ancient texts and contemporary concepts of myth. The article demonstrates similarities between the story of Phaedra and Hippolytus and narratives about Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, Bellerophon, and Phrixus, emphasizing the common motif of the tragic love of an older woman for a young man. Particular attention is devoted to Euripides’ tragedies, in which the playwright preserved the traditional mythic pattern while deepening the psychology of the characters and intensifying the dramatic nature of their internal conflicts. The author points out that Euripides modified the figure of Phaedra in the second version of the tragedy in order to adapt it to the expectations of the Athenian audience. The results of the analysis indicate that the durability of the myth of Phaedra and Hippolytus derives from its universal moral and psychological themes, which allow for repeated reinterpretations in the literature of various epochs.